The present invention generally relates to methods for determining the existence and the size of a gap and the amount by which a portion of an assembly deflects and more particularly, to methods which utilize wireless sensors for accurately determining the existence and the size of a vehicular air gap, such as and without limitation an air gap which may exist between a portion of the vehicular frame and a door and for determining the amount by which a vehicle door deflects as the vehicle is being operated or tested.
It is desirable to ascertain the existence of a gap and the amount or size of the gap occurring between a vehicular door and the frame as the vehicle is being assembled and before the door is finally secured to the vehicle, thereby allowing for an automated or manual modification of a portion of the pre-assembled vehicle in order to eliminate or substantially reduce the gap. Further, it is desirable to efficiently and accurately determine the existence and the size of a gap occurring within an assembled vehicle in order to determine potential sources of undesirable leakage (e.g., wind and/or water leakage) within the vehicle, and it is desirable to determine the amount by which a portion of a vehicle or other assembly deflects as the assembly is being operated, in order to allow certain design configurations to be properly evaluated and to allow certain portions of the vehicle to be studied and evaluated.
While current strategies and techniques do allow the foregoing gap identification and measurements to be made, they do so in a relatively inaccurate manner and by the use of sensor assemblies which are physically coupled to a display and/or receiver assembly. That is, the wires which physically connect the sensor assemblies to a display and/or receiver assembly often become dislodged, thereby causing the sensor assemblies to become dislocated and provide errant data. Moreover, these xe2x80x9chardwiredxe2x80x9d sensor assemblies are not readily adapted to be used by robots or other automation assemblies due to the need to xe2x80x9chardwirexe2x80x9d these sensor assemblies to a display and/or receiver assembly. The present invention overcomes these drawbacks in a new and novel manner.
It is a first non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide methods and strategies for determining the existence and the size of a gap in a manner that overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior methods and strategies.
It is a second non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide a method for determining the existence and the size of a gap in a manner which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior strategies and methods and which obviates the need for wires which connect the sensor to a receiver and/or display device.
It is a third non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide automated methods and strategies for identifying the existence and the size of a gap in an efficient and cost effective manner.
According to a first non-limiting aspect of the present invention, a method for measuring a gap between a first and a second portion of a partially assembled apparatus is provided. The method comprises the steps of providing a robot; providing a wireless gap sensor; providing a receiver that is in communication with the wireless gap sensor; causing the robot to place the wireless gap sensor upon the first portion of the partially assembled apparatus; causing the robot to move the second portion of the partially assembled apparatus against the mounted wireless gap sensor, effective to cause the wireless gap sensor to measure the gap between the first and the second portion; and causing the wireless gap sensor to transmit the measured gap to the receiver.
According to a second non-limiting aspect of the present invention, a method for determining the existence of a gap between the door frame and a door of a vehicle of the type having a removable seal member which is operatively disposed upon the frame is provided. The method comprises the steps of determining the existence of leakage into the vehicle; removing the seal after the existence of the leakage is determined; providing a wireless gap sensor; opening the door of the vehicle; removing the seal; operatively mounting the wireless gap sensor upon the frame; closing the door against the wireless gap sensor, effective to cause the wireless gap sensor to ascertain the existence of a gap between the door frame and the door of the vehicle.
According to a third non-limiting aspect of the present invention, a method for measuring an amount of deflection of a portion of a vehicle is provided. The method comprises the steps of providing a wireless gap sensor; disposing the sensor upon a second portion of the vehicle in close proximity to the portion of the vehicle; operating the vehicle, effective to cause the portion of the vehicle to engage the wireless gap sensor, thereby causing the wireless gap sensor to create and transmit a certain signal which is representative of an amount of deflection of the portion of the vehicle; and receiving and displaying the certain signal.